cloth surrounds

[ironlake]

what causes the reddish color on the ar cloth surrounds, is it the sealant ar put on the surrounds or just what is it.? thanks for any answers

[tysontom]

The reddish-orange color is the cloth surround's natural color. Some AR-1s and early AR-3s and AR-2s had this color and had a clear butyl-latex material painted on the cloth to help seal it. Around 1962 or 1963, AR began to add lamp black to the butyl-latex material so that the surround was not as visible through the grill cloth, and thus the surround color became black, or blackish-orange. The performance was the same for all of the woofers, basically, with slight evolutionary modifications made to the cones as time went on. Amazingly, most of the original AR cloth surrounds have maintained the sealing properties originally designed for them, but some dry out and leak air.

Ed Villchur's prototype woofer (and the patent) actually used a half-round surround, much as we have today. Once Henry Kloss began work on the production prototype speakers in the late summer of 1954, he convinced Villchur to use a pleated surround (the accordian-pleated type) figuring it would be more stable. This was applied to the early AR-1s and AR-1Ws throughout much of 1955. At one point Villchur and Kloss had an argument (one of many, I suspect) in which there was discussion on which surround was better, the pleated or half-round. Kloss held out for the pleated version, so Villchur -- the scientific thinker -- decided that they would compare the two under power, and the one with the lower harmonic distortion and flatter response would win. The rest is history.

--Tom Tyson

[RoyC]

The reddish-orange color is the cloth surround's natural color. Some AR-1s and early AR-3s and AR-2s had this color and had a clear butyl-latex material painted on the cloth to help seal it. Around 1962 or 1963, AR began to add lamp black to the butyl-latex material so that the surround was not as visible through the grill cloth, and thus the surround color became black, or blackish-orange. The performance was the same for all of the woofers, basically, with slight evolutionary modifications made to the cones as time went on. Amazingly, most of the original AR cloth surrounds have maintained the sealing properties originally designed for them, but some dry out and leak air.

Ed Villchur's prototype woofer (and the patent) actually used a half-round surround, much as we have today. Once Henry Kloss began work on the production prototype speakers in the late summer of 1954, he convinced Villchur to use a pleated surround (the accordian-pleated type) figuring it would be more stable. This was applied to the early AR-1s and AR-1Ws throughout much of 1955. At one point Villchur and Kloss had an argument (one of many, I suspect) in which there was discussion on which surround was better, the pleated or half-round. Kloss held out for the pleated version, so Villchur -- the scientific thinker -- decided that they would compare the two under power, and the one with the lower harmonic distortion and flatter response would win. The rest is history.

--Tom Tyson

Hi Tom,

I recently treated the surrounds of a pair of very used, and slightly porous, 2ax woofers with my butyl/toluene solution. The toluene softened the old sealant, and the surrounds turned almost black again. In the attached photo you can see the untreated areas along the edges are still orange in color. They are now nicely sealed, AND more compliant than before the treatment.

Roy

[tysontom]

Hi Roy,

What is your mixture? Looks like it works well!

--Tom

[RoyC]

Hi Roy,

What is your mixture? Looks like it works well!

--Tom

Tom,

It is the same mixture of butylene and toluene we've discussed in the past. I sent you some awhile back. A number of forum members are using it.

Larry Lagace (Ebay's "Vintage AR") recently purchased most of my remaining stash...

Roy

[ironlake]

Are we being spamed or is this something way beyond my current knowlege????????